Door hinge with spaced automatic latching positions for selective degrees of door opening

ABSTRACT

A HINGE HAVING AN EXTERNALLY THREADED SLEEVE SPACED IN PARALLELISM WITH THE HINGE PIN AND CONTAINING INTERNALLY, A PLUG ACTUATING A COMPRESSION SPRING AND BEARING BLOCK AGAINST A BALL, THE SLEEVE HAVING A REDUCED OPENING TO PER-   MIT THE BALL TO EXTEND OUTWARD THEREFROM SUFFICIENTLY TO ENGAGE ANY OF SEVERAL RECESSES OF A RELATIVELY STATIONARY PLATE.

m, 25,1911 .1 SM 3,519,112

ITH noon amen WITH SPA AUTOMATIC LATCHING POSITIONS FDR SELECTIVE nmmams 0F on ormume Filed Sept. 6, 8

FIGURE SLFIGURE 6.

FIGURE l2.

. INVENTOR.

CECIL R. SMITH ATTORNEY FIGURE l3.

United States Patent DOOR HINGE WITH SPACED AUTOMATIC LATCH- ING POSITIONS FOR SELECTIVE DEGREES 0F DOOR OPENING Cecil R. Smith, 719 Old Orchard, Excelsior Springs, Mo. 64024 Filed Sept. 6, 1968, Ser. No. 758,002 Int. Cl. Ed 11/08 US. Cl. 16141 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hinge having an externally threaded sleeve spaced in parallelism with the hinge pin and containing internally; a plug actuating a compression spring and bearing block against a ball; the sleeve having a reduced opening to permit the ball to extend outward therefrom sufiiciently to engage any of several recesses of a relatively stationary plate.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION This invention relates to a door hinge with improvements of a ball actuated by a compression spring being mounted in a threaded sleeve, as a means of spacing with a stationary plate; the ball extending outward sufiiciently from a reduced opening in the threaded sleeve to engage any of several recesses in a stationary plate for selective spaced degrees of the door opening; and having means for varying the spring pressure on the ball.

Heretofore; doors have been equipped with devices having levers or rods to stop a door in an open position.

Such mechanism is relatively expensive, compared to my simple method of a ball under a selected pressure in a threaded sleeve container as a means for varying the spacing and pressure of the ball therein, to extend sufilciently beyond the threaded sleeve to engage in spaced recesss of a fiat stationary plate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION My door hinge with spaced automatic latching positions may be used on any door; of a cabinet, refrigerator, automobile, large and small doors of various descriptions; and will prevent the door from swinging beyond control of the operator. The threaded sleeve is a means of a fine adjustment, to assure the ball will enter the recesses, when a door to be manually opened to a selected degree with ease, and positively will be held in a desired position. A setscrew is provided on the hinge, to hold the threaded sleeve in a selected position, relative to the stationary plate having the latching recesses therein.

The ball pressure in a recess of a plate is variable with the means of the threaded plug for actuating the compression spring against the ball in the threaded sleeve.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a longitudinal exploded view of the threaded sleeve in section, a ball, a helical compression spring, a bearing block in section, and a plug. The ball is also shown in broken lines against the reduced opening in the sleeve to show a projected portion of the ball beyond the sleeve.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating one end of the threaded plug with a groove thereacross for a turning tool.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating one end of the helical compression spring.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating one face of the bearing block with a stem projected therefrom for receiving one end of the compression spring.

FIG. 5 is a view of one end of the threaded sleeve.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating the opposite and reduced end of the sleeve.

3,579,712 Patented May 25, 1971 FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a portion of a two door refrigerator, the doors acting as hinge members on a common hinge pin, and having respective threaded sleeves containing respective compression springs and balls latching in respective recesses on opposite faces of a stationary plate.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on broken lines 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a view of a butt hinge in elevation with the mounted sleeve containing the compression spring and ball latched in a recess of a relatively stationary plate.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a plan view of FIG. 9; with portions of doors shown in section; or a door and a wall secured to opposite portions of the hinge.

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating a portion of a strap hinge in perspective, having the improvement mounted thereon of the threaded sleeve containing a compression spring and ball latched in a recess of a stationary plate.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an elevation of an automobile hinge with the improvement of a threaded sleeve, compression spring and ball latched in a recess of a relatively stationary plate thereon.

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating a section taken on lines 1313 of FIG. 12.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS My improvements are the same as shown in all of the FIGS. 1 to 13 inclusive; and the parts thereof have the same reference numerals for quick identification.

A door hinge 15 has the essential hinge pin 16. A sleeve 17 is mounted thereon and contains; a helical compression spring 18, a bearing block 19, a ball 20; and are all held in alignment under compression by the plug 21 and reduced opening 22 of the sleeve 17.

The threaded plug 21 closes one end of the sleeve 17, and the opposite end of the sleeve 17 has a reduced opening 22 to restrict the projection of the ball 20 to a portion thereof.

The sleeve 17 has an internal thread 24 with suflicient length to move the plug 21 as a means therein to vary, the pressure of the helical compression spring 18, and pressure against the ball 20.

The sleeve 17 has an external thread 25 the full length thereof. The sleeve 17, helical compression spring 18, bearing block 19, and ball 20, are all held in alignment on the hinge 15 and spaced from the hinge pin 16 in parallelism.

A plate 26 has one face thereof centrally spaced from the hinge pin 16. The plate 26 has several recesses 27 spaced in arcuate positions about the hinge pin 16 to register with the ball 20 when it is relatively moved over the plate 26 and the recesses 27. The sleeve 17 and plate 26 are mounted on relatively moving parts of the door hinge 15.

The sleeve 17 may be threaded into a portion of the door hinge 15; or a boss 28 with matching threads may be secured to a portion of the door hinge 15 as a means for holding the sleeve 17 and compression spring 18 spaced in paralellism with the hinge pin 16.

I claim:

1. A door latch unit having an external relatively longitudinal movement spaced in paralellism with a longitudinal door hinge pin and an internal variable independent longitudinal pressure movement of the door latch; the door latch unit comprising in combination:

(a) a sleeve being open at both ends thereof;

(b) said sleeve being threaded externally from end to end;

(c) said sleeve being threaded internally;

(d) said sleeve being flanged inwardly at one end thereof;

(e) a ball;

(f) said ball being in said sleeve and abutting the mentioned flanged portion thereof;

(g) a minor portion of said ball being projected beyond said mentioned flanged end portion of said sleeve;

(h) a helical compression spring;

(i) said helical compression spring being in said sleeve and bearing pressure against said ball;

(j) a plug having an external thread thereon;

'(k) said plug being screwed into said sleeve against said helical compression spring;

(1) said sleeve having slots in the opposite end portion thereof from the mentioned flanged portion for turning and moving said sleeve relatively in parallelism with a door hinge;

(m) and said plug having a means in the outer and thereof for turning and moving said plug in said sleeve.

2. A door latch unit having an external relatively longitudinal movement spaced in parellelism with a longitudinal door hinge pin and an internal variable independent longitudinal pressure movement of the door latch; the door latch unit comprising in combination:

(a) a sleeve being open at both ends thereof;

(b) said sleeve being threaded externally from end to end;

() said sleeve being threaded internally;

((1) said sleeve being flanged inwardly at one end thereof;

(e) a ball;

(i) said ball being in said sleeve and abutting the mentioned flanged portion thereof;

(g) a minor portion of said ball being projected beyond said mentioned flanged end portion of said sleeve;

(h) a bearing block;

(i) said bearing block being in said sleeve and hearing against said ball;

(j) a helical compression spring;

(k) said helical compression spring being in said sleeve and bearing against said bearing block;

(1) a plug having an external thread thereon;

(m) said plug being screwed into said sleeve against said helical compression spring;

(11) said sleeve having slots in the opposite end thereof from the mentioned flanged portion for turning and moving said sleeve spaced relatively in parellelism with a door hinge;

(0) said plug having a slot in the outward end thereof for turning and moving said plug in said sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 145,805 12/1873 Knevals 16-144 1,898,936 2/1933 Brawley 16-168X 2,781,560 2/1957 Zeismer 16-163X FOREIGN PATENTS 459,536 9/1913 France 16-141 567,542 2/1945 Great Britain 16-141 664,211 1/1952 Great Britain 16-141 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

